Stapling-machine.



A. F. SHAFER. STAPLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, I9I6- 1,222,149

Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

muzmtoz H F- SHHFEK A. F. SHAFER. STAPLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1916.

Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wvawtoz I F- SHHF EFC ALONZO r. SHAFER, or MOORE, WEST VIRGINIA.

STAPLING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. MD, ram.

Application filed March, 1916. Serial No. 82,212.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO F. SHArER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moore, in the county of Tucker and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in stapling-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved stapling machine and has for its primary object tov provide a hand operated machine of this character for applying reinforcing staples to the seams of shoes, heavy canvas gloves, and like articles, which is particularly useful in the vrepairing of such articles when the seams become ripped.

It is another and more particular object of the invention to devise a staplingmachine for the above purpose having an improved magazine construction for automatically feeding the staples to a vertically movable plunger.

It is another object of my invention to provide means for so mounting the magazine with respect to the operating plunger that the magazine and plunger may be swung or turned in various directions for applying the staples in an irregular line.

It is a further general object of the invention to reduce the number of necessary parts in such machines to a -minimum and thereby correspondingly reduce'the manufacturing cost of the machine and, at the same time, provide a machine which is highly efiicient in practical use and convenient and serviceable for the purposes in view.

YVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stapling machine constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2:

Fig. at is a detail inner face view of the guide plate for the staples;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of the magazine taken on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of the Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary view of the.

magazine construction, showing the cover lifted from its normal position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates a casting having a suitable base which may be fastened upon a board, bench, or other desirable support, by a plurality of bolts or screws, and upon which an upwardly and laterally extending frame arm 6 is integrally formed. Beneath this arm 6 and in spaced relation thereto, an liquely and upwardly inclined horn or extension 7 is integrally formed upon the casting, and at its extremity and upon the upper face thereof is provided with a suitable clenching die indicated at 8, upon which the points of the staple are adapted to be driven and clenched by the operating plunger to be hereinafter more fully described.

The arm 6 of the casting is provided with an opening 9 therein within which a vertically movable sleeve 10 is arranged, ,said sleeve being provided upon its lower end with a longitudinal extension 11, the inner face of which is substantially in alinement with the bore of said sleeve. The inner face of said extension is formed with a longitudinal groove or channellQ. 13 designates the plunger mounted to reciprocate within the bore of the sleeve 10, said plunger having a reduced rectangular stem 14 which is formed upon one side with the flanges 15 projecting from opposite faces of said stem.

A plate 16 is arranged over the exposed side of the stem 14: and is detachably secured at its opposite edges by means of screws 17 to the extension 11 of the sleeve 10. This plate is provided in its inner face with a shallow rectangular channel 18 which is adapted to receive the flanges 15 on the stem 14 of the plunger. An opening 19 is formed in the plate 16 intermediate of the ends of the channel 18;

A longitudinally inclined supporting plate 20 is fixed at one of its ends by means of the screws 17 securing the plate 16 to the extension 11 of the sleeve, and upon this plate the" several parts of the magazine for the'staples are mounted and supported. The magazine includes a sheet metal plate, bent upon itself to provideva narrow, inverted, U-shaped saddle or.-seat indicated at 21, upon which the staples are adapted to be arranged. At-one end of this same is formed upon its longitudinal edges with outwardly projecting arms 22 in each of whichthe slot 23 is formed. Bolts 24 extend through these slots and are secured in the end of the supporting plate 20. The other end 'of the saddle 21 fits within the opening 19 in the plate 16, and'by loosening the bolts 24 this saddle platemay be readily adjusted so as to position the latter end thereof with respect to the reciprocating plunger. A follower 25 of substantially the engaged over the end of the plate-20 to re-- same cross-sectional form as the saddle 21,

is loosely engaged upon said saddle for longitudinal movement, and it will be understood that the staples are arranged upon the saddle between this follower and the plunger stem 14/ A coil spring '26 is arranged over the saddle 21 and is connected .to the follower 25 at one of its ends to force the same longitudinally upon, the saddle and thus feed the staples to the plunger stem. Theother end of this spring bears posed stop plate 28 which engages over the end of the spring 26. The ends of the plate 28 are angularly extended and provided with apertures to receive the fastening bolts 24 which secure the saddle member 21 upon the supporting plate 20. To the follower 25, one end of a rod '29 is connected. Adjacent the other end of said rod, the same is formed with an angular offset 30. When it is necessary to replenish the magazine,

this rod is pulled longitudinally to move the' follower 25 upwardly upon the inclined supporting plate 20 against the action of the" spring 26, and the offset 30 in said rod is tain the follower in such position. The cap or cover 27 is then removed and the staples arranged upon the saddle 21. .When the cover is replaced, the rod 29 is released so that the follower will be again urged downwardly by the spring 26 to feed the staples through the opening 19 in the plate 16 to the reciprocating stem of the plunger.

31 designates thmperatinglever which is fulcrurned, as at 32, upon the upper end of v a vertically disposed arm suitably mounted upon the end of the castmg arm 6. This plate," the the channel 18. The channel 18 inlthe lever is provided with a bearing socket 34 to receive the ball 35 formed upon the upper end/of the plunger 13. This plunger is normally urged upwardly through the sleeve 10 by means of a coil spring 36 arranged within the lower end of said sleeve and sur-' rounding the stem 14, the upper end of said spring bearing against the body of the plunger while the lower end thereof is seated upon the upper end of theextension 11 on the sleeve 12. The upper end of said sleeve is formed with an annular flange 37 1 against which the upper end of a coil spring 38, surrounding said sleeve, bears. This spring which is of considerably less tensile strength than the spring 36, also operates to -move the sleeve 10 upwardly through the openingin the casting arm 6 and yieldingly retard its downward movement when engaged by the annular shoulder 39 formed upon the plunger 13.

It will be noted from reference to Fig.

4of the drawings, that the upper portion of the rectangular channel 18 in the inner face of the plate 16 is slightly enlarged or flared immediately opposite the opening 19 in said plate. In the normal'position of the plunger 13, the lower endof the stem 14 is disposed above the upper end of the opening 19, and the staples, as they are successively fed through this opening by the follower 25, are pushed into the upper portion of late 16 is only sufliciently deep to receive a sihgle staple, and by widening this channel opposite the opening 19, the single staple delivered to the channel issupported to prevent it from dropping down in the channel and thereby permitting more than one staple to leave the magazine under the pressure of the follower 25.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

' the construction and manner of operation of.

the device will be clearly understood. Then the plunger"'13 is forced downwardly by means of the operating lever 31, such.move

ment is transmitted through the spring 36 to the sleeve 10 and the magazine mounted on the extension of said sleeve so that the lower end of the sleeve extension and the plate 16 will be engaged uponthe work, thereby holding thework 'or material in proper posi-' tion upon the die to receive the staples. The spring 38 is, of course, thus placed under compression, and in the continued down: ward movement of the plunger 13 the end of the stem 14 engaging upon the staple, forces the same downwardly through the channel 18, the spring 36 being compressed. The points of the staple are thus driven through thematerial arranged on the clenching die and said points securely clenched. The

sleeve 10 and the magazine and the supporting plate 20 therefor, together with the plunger 13, may be turned or rotated with respect to the arm 6 of the casting so that the staples may be applied to the material in a curved or irregular line. The stapling operation is performed in each downward movement of the plunger and may be repeated until the magazine is exhausted, when the .same may be reloaded or replenished as above described.

It will be readily seen that I have produced a very simple and convenient stapling machine which may be conveniently employed and easily operated, with a minimum of manual labor in repair work, for closing and reinforcing the seams of shoes, workmens gloves, and articles constructed of analogous, materials. The machine may, of course, be made in various sizes, and staples .ofdifferent lengths and other forms than that illustrated in the drawing can also be utilized by resorting to obvious mechanical variations in the form and construction of the several parts. The invention is also susceptible of many modifications therein and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a stapling machine, the combination of an axially movable sleeve, a reciprocating plunger operating therein, a plate detachably secured to one side of said sleeve and having a channel in its inner face and an opening communicating with said channel, a saddle plate having one of. its ends disposed within said opening, said plate being adapted to support a plurality of staples, and a spring-pressed follower mountedupon the saddle plate to urge the staples successively into the channel of the first named plate for engagement by the plunger in its downward movement.

2. In a stapling machine, the combination of a sleeve, a reciprocating plunger operating therein, said sleeve having a longitudinal extension, a plate detachably secured upon said extension and having a guide channel in its inner face to receive the plun ger and an opening in said plate communieating with said channel, a laterally projecting saddle plate mounted upon said first namedplate and extending into said opening, said saddl: plate being adapted to support a plurality of staples, a cover plate for the staples also engaged at one of its ends in the opening of the first named plate, and a spring pressed follower mounted upon the saddle plate to urge the staples successively into the channel of the first named plate for engagement by the plunger in its downward movement.

" 3. In a stapling machine, the combination formed on one end provided with a guide channel, a plunger operating in said sleeve and having a stem engaged in said guide channel, a plate detachably secured to said extension and having a channel in its inner face in which the plunger stem is slidably engaged, said plate also having an opening therein communicating with said channel, and a staple magazine carried by saidplate to feed the staples successively into the said channel for engagement by the plunger stem in its downward movement.

4. In a stapling machine, the combination of a sleeve having a longitudinal extension formed on one end provided with a guide channel, a plunger operating in said sleeve and having a stem engaged insaid guide channel, aplate detachably secured to said extension and having a channel in its inner face in which the plunger stem is slidably engaged, said plate also having an opening therein communicating with said channel, a laterally extending, downwardly inclined plate carried by said first named plate, a staple support mounted upon the inclined plate and having one of its ends disposed in the opening of the first named plate, and a spring-pressed follower mounted upon .said support to urge the staples successively into the channel of the first named plate for engagement by the plunger stem in its downward movement.

5. In a stapling machine, the combination of a sleeve having a longitudinal extension formed on one end provided with a guide and having a stem engaged in said guide channel, a plate detachably secured to said extension and having a channel in its inner face in which the plunger stem is slidably engaged, said plate also having an opening therein communicating with said channel, a laterally extending, downwardlly inclined plate carried by said first named plate, a staple support mounted upon the inclined plate and having one of its ends disposed in the opening of the first named plate, a spring-pressed follower mounted upon said support to urge the staples successively into the-channel of the first named plate for engagement by the plunger stem in its downward movement, and means connected to the follower to co-act with the inclined plate to hold the follower in a retracted position against the action of its spring.

6. In a stapling machine, the combinationtherein communicating with said channel, a laterally extending downwardly inclined plate carried by said first named plate, a Staple support mounted upon the inclined 5 plate. and having one of its ends disposed in the opening of the first named plate, a springpressed follower mounted upon said support to urge the staples successively into the chan nel of the first named plate for engagement 13 by the plunger stem in its downward movement, means connected ,to the followerto coact with the inclined plate to hold the fol- 7 tending over the'staple support and having 15 one of its ends engaged in the opening'of said first named plate.

.In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO F. SHAFER.

Witnesses:

W. H. BL SSEN; W. K.-PR1TT. 

